p16-21 Cruise vs Land 20/3/09 16:53 Page 20
Cruise land versus sea
that cruises give customers extra comfort in
that they won’t be worrying about fluctuating
exchange rates. He also points out that cruises
allow passengers to take advantage of tax-free
shopping available in many Caribbean islands.
Family all-inclusive
Land sample price: a family of four staying at
Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club in Jamaica
costs a total of £6,319.20 including flights for a
two-week stay with Virgin Holidays.
Price per person per day: £112.84
Cruise option: a 15-night Caribbean cruise from
Barbados on P&O Cruises’ Ventura costs from
£5,784 for a family of four including flights.
Price per person per day: £96.40
CRUISE WINS BY £16.44 PER DAY
Luxury break for couple
Land sample price: ITC Classics offers seven
nights at the Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados from
£2,815 including breakfast, flights and transfers.
Estimated food & general expenses: £500
Price per person per day: £473.57
Cruise option: Silversea offers a seven-night
round-trip itinerary on Silver Shadow from
CARIBBEAN Barbados for £1,487 cruise-only.
There’s no doubt clients can see more of the Flights: £543
Caribbean on a cruise than during a land-based Price per person per day: £290
holiday. It’s easier here to compare the prices of
cruises with holidays onshore as there are so CRUISE WINS BY £183.57 PER DAY
many all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean,
such as Sandals, SuperClubs and Couples. NORTH AMERICA
Both types of holiday give customers the One of North America’s most iconic cruises is
ability to budget before they travel and avoid the voyage up the Pacific coastline to Alaska
Top: Seadream passengers enjoy a getting caught out by volatile currency rates – a trip which is extremely difficult to
‘champagne and splash’ beach party while in resort. replicate on land, although there are tours
Above: Regent Seven Seas’ Navigator in St Lucia In the luxury sector, cruise lines such as around Alaska and northern Canada.
Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and SeaDream While the US dollar has strengthened
look a better option than similarly upmarket considerably against the pound in recent
island resorts where the costs can mount up months, specialist agents stress that many
rapidly – particularly for islands such as lines have pegged their cruise prices at a much
Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua where the more favourable pound-to-dollar rate.
local currency is linked to the US dollar. The increase in the dollar’s value is also
Edwina Lonsdale, managing director of being offset by a succession of offers and deals
Mundy Cruising, says: “Luxury buyers, as the US-based lines struggle to cope with
accustomed to staying in hotels where breakfast falling domestic demand – often these
alone is priced at $30-40 and every single little promotions include a certain amount of
extra is charged for, are amazed by how much free onboard spending for passengers or
is included in the cruise fare. some complimentary shore excursions.
“While cruise lines are rarely in a position to Cumbria Cruises’ Alison Westall adds: “If
replicate the amount of private space clients on a cruise where the US dollar is the main
would expect in a land-based resort, they are currency, you still have the benefit of so much
comfortable because so much more is offered.” being included in the fare that you can budget
Michael English, head of field sales for for any extras, or avoid them.
Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, adds “Cruise passengers can still walk around a
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TTG Knowledge – March 2009
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